Ten leading music practitioners and industry experts met on stage at the Birmingham Town Hall where many of the hits would have been played down the decades.

The panel comprised the MOBO award-winning Laura Mvula, Vix Vox from Fuzzbox, The Specials’ Horace Panter and Phil Etheridge from The Twang.

Others includes music journalists Pete Paphides and Matt Everitt, soprano Abigail Kelly and promoter Markus Sargeant. They had just three hours to cast their votes, with the chance to hear snippets as a refresher.

Even the 150-strong shortlist was top secret, but the Mail can reveal Black Sabbath had nine entries followed by Led Zeppelin and Duran Duran with seven each.

Dexys Midnight Runners and UB40 had six each, and Ocean Colour Scene and Pop Will Eat Itself five each, all had more contenders than Jeff Lynne’s ELO, which had four along with The Wonder Stuff.

As she prepared to start judging, Laura Mvula admitted she was on a learning curve at the age of just 28.

“Being one of the youngest immediately puts me in the bracket of least knowledge,” she admitted.

The judges at Birmingham Town Hall discuss the tracks to be included on the B Side album and playlist

“I will learn a lot today – I want to be educated. The list (of great songs) is heavy, it’s insane.

“But I was born and bred here and will choose whatever resonates.”

Vix Vox (real name Victorial Perks) from Fuzzbox said: “I listen to West Midlands’ music and think I’m more proud to be a Brummie than anything else and I don’t think that is celebrated enough.

“Trying to represent all genres in 20 songs is going to be really tough.”

The winning 20 songs will become a Spotify playlist after being revealed at the Glee Club next Wednesday.